“Kya chahin hain?” asked the man standing behind the register. “Mujhey, coffee chaaheeye,” I replied. Without any fuss, he prepared my drink and handed it to me. I quietly praised myself for my improved Hindi conversational skills. When I first came to India, I would mistakenly mix Gujarati words or mispronounce Hindi words. I never noticed my “American” accent until I got abroad. More surprising than my improvement in Hindi was the fact that I chose to come to this cafe despite my past reluctance. I walked around the moving crowd and found an empty table to sit at. I admit that at first I was surprised by a crowd almost as thick as a market, but now I find the bar quite lively. I looked around the entrance to see if any of my friends were coming. “I'm a little early, but at least I never get bored waiting,” I thought as I took a sip of coffee. I thought there was something strange about coffee in India. It's not the tall Starbucks coffee mocha with whisk that I was used to in the US. The aroma was familiar, but the flavor of the cardamom was that unexpected hint of spice that you would only find in India. Despite this, I couldn't give up going to a bar just because of some small differences. It was my refuge from the outside world, a place where I could collect my thoughts and draw inspiration. Remembering the past, I took out an old sketchbook. I reflected on how I first discussed my sudden decision to study abroad with my best friends in Maryland. They listened patiently as I explained how I had received an acceptance letter from an international school in India. They were surprised at first, but understood... halfway through the paper... ren. They had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and were not shy about accepting it from anyone who was willing to share it. I realized that I was learning much more than I was teaching. I had little to give back for the life lessons I had learned from them. I swallowed the last sip of coffee when I heard, "Hey Aru!" I looked up and saw my friends hovering over my sketchbook. I developed strong friendships with my classmates. Not only do we share interests, but we find endearing qualities in our differences. Through my friendships, I solidified my beliefs and individuality. I learned more about India and developed a new global perspective. A friend stared at my empty cup in confusion. “I thought you didn't like the coffee here.” “What gave you this idea,” I replied, looking at all my friends, “I'm really going to miss this. It's not Starbucks, but it's perfect.”